The Movie Connie Britton Has 'Seen A Million Times'

Theweekends on All Things Considered series Movies I've Seen A Million Times features filmmakers, actors, writers and directors talking about the movies that they never get tired of watching.

The movie that actress Connie Britton, whose credits includethe televisionshows "Friday Night Lights," "American Horror Story," and "Nashville" — currently on the ABC network— could watch a million times is Colin Higgins' Foul Play.

Interview Highlights

On why she loves Foul Play

"I kind of grew up watching these great romantic comedies that I feel, we don't make them the way we used to. So I just loved that funny, romantic relationship and I loved Goldie Hawn — huge fan of Goldie Hawn — and that Goldie Hawn/Chevy Chase dynamic, I could watch it over and over again, and I did."

On what she learned from the movie

"From watching a movie like Foul Play, I've always said that I want to play a full-fledged charaacter that has drama and a sense of humor. And I think that was because I was so heavily influenced by funny ladies such as Goldie Hawn."

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Transcript

JACKI LYDEN, HOST:

On this show, we've been asking filmmakers about the movies they never get tired of watching, the ones that they could watch again and again - including this one, from the star of "Friday Night Lights."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "READY TO TAKE A CHANCE AGAIN")

BARRY MANILOW: (Singing) You remind me I live in a shell...

CONNIE BRITTON: I'm Connie Britton. I'm an actress. And a movie I've seen a million times is "Foul Play"; which was directed by Colin Higgins, and stars Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "READY TO TAKE A CHANCE AGAIN")

MANILOW: (Singing) No jokes, no surprises...

BRITTON: I kind of grew up watching these great romantic comedies that I feel we don't make them the way we used to. I just loved Goldie Hawn, huge fan of Goldie Hawn. And that Goldie Hawn-Chevy Chase dynamic was just - I could watch it over and over again. And I did.

(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "FOUL PLAY")

CHEVY CHASE: (as Tony Carlson) Listen, it's Gloria, right? You're a really nice girl, and I'm a nice guy. And you're very pretty - with or without cleavage - and what do you say? Would you like to take a shower?

GOLDIE HAWN: (as Gloria Mundy) I don't pick up strange men.

CHASE: (as Tony Carlson) Well, that's your problem.

HAWN: (as Gloria Mundy) So why don't you try it?

BRITTON: The thing with Goldie Hawn is she was funny but sexy and gorgeous. And she seemed accessible, you know? She seemed like somebody you could be.

BRITTON: A girl moves to San Francisco, and she's sort of feeling like she doesn't take chances in her life. And she sort of trips into this crazy - it's not even a murder mystery. It's sort of - it's a plot, that's right. It's a plot by the Catholic Church. (LAUGHTER)

(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "FOUL PLAY")

HAWN: (as Gloria Mundy) A man tried to kill me here tonight!

BRIAN DENNEHY: (as Fergie) Is he albino?

HAWN: (as Gloria Mundy) No, no.

CHASE: (as Tony Carlson) The man with the scar?

HAWN: (as Gloria Mundy) Yes. See, the albino tried to kill me earlier, but I smashed him with my umbrella.

BRITTON: And because of that, ends up falling for this cop. And Chevy Chase plays the cop.

(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE "FOUL PLAY")

HAWN: (as Gloria Mundy) Well, when I first met you, I thought you were a bore.

CHASE: (as Tony Carlson) Yeah? What about before that?

HAWN: (as Gloria Mundy) Before that?

CHASE: (as Tony Carlson) Yeah, when you first saw me.

HAWN: (as Gloria Mundy) I thought you were a klutz.

BRITTON: And the background music is Barry Manilow's "Ready to Take a Chance Again."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "READY TO TAKE A CHANCE AGAIN")

MANILOW: (Singing) And I'm ready to take a chance again, ready to put my love on the line with you...

BRITTON: One scene that really stands out is when Goldie Hawn is trying to run away from the crazy albino. She says to Dudley Moore, take me home.

(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "FOUL PLAY")

HAWN: (as Gloria Mundy) Take me home, please.

DUDLEY MOORE: (as Stanley Tibbets) Ah, sure. My place or yours?

BRITTON: And he thinks he's really scored and got it made, and so he takes her up to his love-den apartment.

BRITTON: ...as he's doing a striptease and like, this bed falls out of the wall and this crazy - like, life-size blow-up doll comes down.

(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "FOUL PLAY")

HAWN: (as Gloria Mundy) Oh! My God!

MOORE: (as Stanley Tibbets) What's the matter, baby?

HAWN: (as Gloria Mundy) Well, what is this? What are you doing? Why are you undressed?

BRITTON: From watching a movie like "Foul Play," I've always said that I want to play a full-fledged character that has drama and a sense of humor. And I think that was because I was so heavily influenced by funny ladies such as Goldie Hawn.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "READY TO TAKE A CHANCE AGAIN")

MANILOW: (Ringing) And I'm ready to take a chance again...

LYDEN: That's actress Connie Britton, talking about the movie that she could watch a million times, "Foul Play." Britton currently stars in the hit ABC TV show "Nashville." Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.